Articles
Feasibility of trunk microtensiometers to ascertain plant water status in a nectarine orchard
Article number
1409_22
Pages
159 – 166
Language
English
Abstract
In order to ascertain the feasibility of novel trunk microtensiometers (MTs) to monitor plant water status of nectarine trees, different irrigation criteria were established based on the soil maximum allowed depletion (MAD). Irrigation was automatically managed by real-time soil water content (Ɵv) measured with capacitance probes, and three percentages of depletion of the soil available water (
) were imposed to trigger irrigation: i) =10% from DOY 160 to 180; ii) =50% from DOY 181 to 210; and iii) =100%, without irrigation, from DOY 211 to 244 until midday stem water potential (Ψstem) reached -2.0 MPa.
Afterwards (DOY 245-260), the irrigation was recovered to field capacity.
The field capacity value was set as threshold to stop irrigation.
Trunk water potential (Ψtrunk) from MTs, and discrete midday leaf (Ψleaf), and (Ψstem) water potentials obtained with a pressure chamber, and leaf gas exchange parameters were measured.
A similar seasonal pattern was observed in Ψtrunk and Ψstem, with a mean difference of 0.3 MPa.
A minimum Ψstem value of -2.03 MPa was reached at the end of=100% which corresponded to a Ψtrunk of -1.76 MPa.
The Ψtrunk was highly correlated with Ψstem (R2=0.86, p<0.001), but it was not significantly related to Ψleaf (R2=0.37). Sensitivity analysis of plant water potentials revealed higher values for Ψtrunk than Ψstem, and the lowest for Ψleaf. These results point to the potential use of trunk microtensiometers to continuously monitor plant water status in nectarine trees, and tuning automated precise irrigation management in areas with scarce water resources.
) were imposed to trigger irrigation: i) =10% from DOY 160 to 180; ii) =50% from DOY 181 to 210; and iii) =100%, without irrigation, from DOY 211 to 244 until midday stem water potential (Ψstem) reached -2.0 MPa.Afterwards (DOY 245-260), the irrigation was recovered to field capacity.
The field capacity value was set as threshold to stop irrigation.
Trunk water potential (Ψtrunk) from MTs, and discrete midday leaf (Ψleaf), and (Ψstem) water potentials obtained with a pressure chamber, and leaf gas exchange parameters were measured.
A similar seasonal pattern was observed in Ψtrunk and Ψstem, with a mean difference of 0.3 MPa.
A minimum Ψstem value of -2.03 MPa was reached at the end of
=100% which corresponded to a Ψtrunk of -1.76 MPa.The Ψtrunk was highly correlated with Ψstem (R2=0.86, p<0.001), but it was not significantly related to Ψleaf (R2=0.37). Sensitivity analysis of plant water potentials revealed higher values for Ψtrunk than Ψstem, and the lowest for Ψleaf. These results point to the potential use of trunk microtensiometers to continuously monitor plant water status in nectarine trees, and tuning automated precise irrigation management in areas with scarce water resources.
Authors
J. Vera, M.R. Conesa, W. Conejero, A.B. Mira-García, M.C. Ruiz-Sánchez
Keywords
automated drip irrigation, leaf water potential (Ψleaf), maximum allowed water depletion (MAD), stem water potential (Ψstem), trunk water potential (Ψtrunk)
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